Espacios públicos de ocio en el Madrid de Felipe II y Felipe III

Resumen

The present study deals with the main public spaces of leisure in Madrid between 1561, when Philip II established the Court in the town, and the end of Philip III reign, being El Prado de San Jerónimo one of the most out-standing among them. First a general approach to the meaning and evolution of the public walks in Europe is done, with some Spanish examples, as well as Spanish American and European. An interesting conclusion given is that El Prado de San Jerónimo is a new kind of walking public space, born in the Court establishment early years in Madrid 1561, due to Felipe II�s will. Meanwhile the majority of public Court walks in Spain, America and Europe appeared later, most of them during XVIII and XIX centuries, being some of them at first private spaces (nobility and royalty gardens), which ended converted in public spaces during those years. Going out for a walk to breath fresh air was considered by theorists highly recommended and even necessary as a prophylactic measure, for hygienic reasons. But no less important are the social connotations of the promenade, of which the higher social classes were very fond in the studied period; these rides and open air activities, had usually a courtier prevailing character. Their public character supposes no limitations for the access to the social groups members' least favoured, whereas they were not easily admitted in private gardens and parks. But the gentlemen´s promenade in certain hours and epochs of the year performed special importance in a society based on familiar and patronage system. That´s why El Prado de San Jerónimo had a special meaning in the few years in which Madrid, not without hesitations, turned into stable and definitive headquarters of the Court. On the other hand, public spaces existed simultaneously in Madrid for a more popular leisure, like las Vistillas, the Manzanares banks, Leganitos and its environment, the Vega slope and these places were not at all disdained by gentlemen of higher social status. An essential element of the court walks, like el Prado de San Jerónimo, among water (fountains and reservoirs) and vegetation, was music, to which this work devotes a special attention. The first part of the study is an approach to musicians, usually council workers, who entertained the gentlemen´s walks: ministriles, waits, Stadpfeiferei, trumpets who used to play in top of towers and balconies. We will talk of them again when the music little tower in el Prado was studied. The Prado de San Jerónimo early appearance and development are historically situated during the process of settlement of the Court in Madrid and its consolidation as stable and permanent headquarter, after the move to Valladolid between 1601 and 1606. For that an approach to the villa´s development and historical circumstances is done in these years. To achieve this task have been essential several documentary collections, especially those of the Madrid Council Archive and its local books of agreement.